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New York Firebirds
The New York Firebirds are a team based in New York City. They play in the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference. They were founded in 2011 as part of the Coast Extreme League. History The New York Firebirds were founded in 2011 by Wolfgang "Wolf" McMahon as part of the Coast Extreme League. They would sign legendary Head Coach Hugh Walker and linebacker Ted Forbes. The duo would go on to lead the Firebirds in their win of the inaugural Extreme Coast Championship that year against the Miami Pimps. In 2015, the Coast Extreme League merged with the Texas Southern League, creating the Eastern Coast League. They were able to win the inaugural trophy there, too. Ted Forbes, their legendary linebacker, won another MVP trophy. 2016 - The Eastern Coast League merges with the failing Arena Football League to create the Blitz League of America. The influx of money allows the Blitz League to add the Los Angeles Riot (the first West-Coast Team) and hold the first-ever Blitz Bowl. The New York Firebirds, with the addition of former Michigan quarterback Devin Gardner, beat the Los Angeles Riot 17-16 and take home the first Blitz Bowl Trophy. The team is greeted surprisingly well, with over 30,000 fans coming out to greet the team on their championship walk around the Financial District. 2017 - The Firebirds return to the Blitz Bowl, only to be defeated by the Orlando Sharks. After the season, Hugh Walker announces his retirement from the Blitz League. The Firebirds replace him with Mike Singletary, the defensive superstar from the '85 Bears. 2018 - In Singletary's first year, things don't go as planned. The Firebirds are beat in the first round of the playoffs, a far cry from where they finished just one year ago. Singletary announces that it's a process because many of the original defensive stars from the Firebirds retired. Still, Singletary is shunned by the New York media. 2019 - After signing Josh Gordon from the NFL (due to lax drug policies in the Blitz League of America), and drafting cornerback Victor Cassell, Singletary leads the Firebirds back to the Blitz Bowl. Devin Gardner, quarterback of the New York Firebirds, wins the League MVP. The Firebirds, however, are beaten once again, 30-14, this time against the Los Angeles Riot. Ted Forbes retires after the loss, realizing he probably will never win another Blitz Bowl with the Firebirds. 2022 - Singletary retires after the end of the season after being bounced in the first round of the playoffs three years in a row. Devin Gardner follows suit, announcing his retirement as well. Singletary is replaced by new coach Clive Hanson, who successfully keeps rising star Damian Bell on the team. The Firebirds become a decent team in the Blitz League. They make the playoffs in the next seven years, but make it past the Divisional Playoff only once. 2030 - The Firebirds go 8-10, missing the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. Victor Cassell retires and Damian Bell is shipped off to the Los Angeles Riot. Clive Hanson is shunned by the New York media, reminiscent of what happened to Mike Singletary. 2032 - In Week 10 of the regular season, the Firebirds suffer their worst loss in franchise history, losing 44-0 to ex-Firebird Damian Bell and the Los Angeles Riot. After the game, Clive Hanson is shot dead. His murder is supposedly a mob hit, but no one knows for sure. He is replaced by interim Head Coach Brooke Shula, the first female coach and youngest coach in Blitz League History. She can't lead the Firebirds out of the mud, however, but they do go 3-5 under her, better than the 1-9 mark they compiled with Clive Hanson. They are still the worst team in the league, so they pick HB Tyrell Pittmon out of Michigan. 2033 - The first full year under Brooke Shula shows some improvement from the previous season. The team goes 9-9, again failing to reach the playoffs. This proves to be Brooke's final year in New York, as the Firebirds end up hiring Sean McVay. The move is called sexist, but Wolf McMahon says that he wants someone with experience and pedigree. 2034 - Sean McVay's first season shows improvement for the Firebirds, as they get the final wild-card spot in the playoffs. They are, however, beaten by the South Carolina Spiders in the Wild-Card round. 2036 - The "Golden Era" of the Firebirds begins. With the signing of quarterback Nicholas Riccio, the Firebirds go from possible playoff team to Blitz Bowl favorite. Riccio doesn't disappoint. He leads the Firebirds to a 18-0 regular season record before beating the Las Vegas Outlaws in Blitz Bowl XXI. Riccio captures the Blitz League MVP and the Blitz Bowl MVP award. The Firebirds finish the season with a record of 21-0. The Firebirds 2036 campaign is considered the greatest season of all time, and the 2036 Firebirds are considered the greatest team of all time. 2037 - The Firebirds become the first team to repeat as champions. They defeat Vince Howard and the Las Vegas Outlaws once again in Blitz Bowl XXII. 2038 - The Firebirds become the first team to win three championships in a row. They beat the underdog Des Moines Demons, who upset the Las Vegas Outlaws in the Divisional Playoff. 2040 - The Firebirds start the season 0-5, their worst start in franchise history. Nicholas Riccio, however, turns the ship around and leads the Firebirds to a 12-1 finish, clinching a wild card spot after winning the final game of the season. He also wins another MVP for his stellar performance in the Firebirds turn-around season. They defeat the New England Knights in the wild card round, 31-10. They then knock off the 15-3 Miami Hammerheads and Julius Williams by a score of 28-25. In the Eastern Conference Championship, they defeat the heavily-favored Atlanta 404, a team that went 16-2 in the regular season, on a field goal to win 24-21 in overtime. In the Blitz Bowl, Nicholas Riccio leads the New York Firebirds to another championship against the 20-0 Las Vegas Outlaws and Vince Howard. The game was won by Nicholas Riccio on a last-second touchdown. The game was nicknamed "The Miracle", and was the most-watched professional football game of all time. After the game, Nicholas Riccio announced his retirement from football. Championships Blitz Bowl Championships The Firebirds have won a total of five Blitz Bowls, the most in Blitz League of America history. Blitz Bowl Appearances The Firebirds have won a total of five Blitz Bowls, the most in Blitz League of America history. They also have been to a total of eight Blitz Bowls, which is also the most in Blitz League of America history. Logos & Uniforms The New York Firebirds have used the same logo since their inception. Since the 2025 season, they have used the same home and away jerseys. After the signing of star Quarterback Nicholas Riccio and the subsequent 21-0 season, the Firebirds began wearing the "Blackout" alternate jerseys with the words "The Empire" across the chest. Rivalries New England Knights The rivalry between the New York Firebirds and the New England Knights is one of the oldest in the League, dating back to 2016. The two teams have frequently fought for playoff contention, Northeast Division titles, and respect. While the Giants have dominated this rivalry throughout most of its history, the series began to even out in the 2030s, with the series lead to the Knights 12-10 throughout the 2020s and early 2030s. More recently, however, the Firebirds have dominated the series, going 7-3 between 2036 and 2040. The Firebirds lead the series 29-22. The two teams have met six times in the postseason, with each team winning three games. Three of those six playoff meetings were held in the 2030s. Bridgeport Whalers The Firebirds have an old and storied rivalry with the Whalers, dating back to 2015. While this rivalry is typically given less significance than the rivalries with the Knights and Brawlers, there have been periods of great competition between the two. In the 2020s the Firebirds and Whalers clashed as both struggled against each other for division titles and even Eastern Conference Championships. Most notable among these is the 2024 Eastern Conference Championship game in which the Whalers defeated the Firebirds 17–7 to earn their first ever trip to the Blitz Bowl. Clive Hanson always felt this was the Firebirds oldest and truest rival, and after passing away in 2032, the Firebirds honored their longtime owner by defeating the Whalers 24–0 at home. The Firebirds lead this series 30–12. The Firebirds 30 wins against the Whalers are tied for most wins against another franchise in Blitz League history, along with the Chicago Marauders defeating the Detroit Devils 30 times. Philadelphia Brawlers The Firebirds have maintained a fierce divisional rivalry with the Philadelphia Brawlers since the Brawlers first began play in 2020. The two teams have a combined ten Blitz Bowl appearances between them, and have played many games in which the Northeast Division title was at stake. The Brawlers lead the regular season series 21–14, while the Firebirds hold the lone playoff victory between the two teams, held at the conclusion of the 2037 season. D.C. Nightmare The Firebirds and the D.C. Nightmare have the oldest rivalry in the entire Blitz League, dating back to 2011 with the Coast Extreme League's inception (The D.C. Nightmare was known as the Washington Capitols at the time). Both have storied histories and have combined for a staggering seven Blitz Bowl championships in the 25 year history of the Blitz Bowl. The teams have met many times in the playoffs, with the Firebirds leading the series 8-4. The Firebirds also lead the regular season series, 27-21. Las Vegas Outlaws Los Angeles Riot Team Captains 2011-2019: Ted Forbes, LB 2019-2022: Devin Gardner, QB 2022-2025: Josh Gordon, WR 2025-2030: Victor Cassell, CB 2030-2033: Dustin Jackson, DE 2033-2036: Tyrell Pittmon, HB 2036-2040: Nicholas Riccio, QB